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A Method of Measuring and Expressing Epigeous Seedling Growth Rate
Author(s) -
Christiansen M. N.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1962.0011183x000200060013x
Subject(s) - seedling , agricultural experiment station , crop , horticulture , citation , biology , mathematics , library science , agriculture , computer science , agronomy , ecology
THE developing seedling primarily depends on endogenous resources from initial water uptake by the seed until seedling emergence from the soil surface. The rate of early seedling growth is an expression of genetic factors for vigor and other predisposing influences provided by the parent plant, and the reaction of this biotype to external influences such as variation of temperature, soil aeration, or applied chemicals. The rate of emergence from sand or soil, germination rate, elongation of the seedling, and dry weight have been used to express seedling performance. The assay and expression of seedling development are of[en complicated by extreme variability of these commonly measured seedling attributes. Christidis (2) showed that the rate of cottonseed germination varies considerably with slight differences in germination media, temperature, or seed hydration. Toole and Drummond (4) likewise reported considerable fluctuation in cottonseed germination when germination media was varied. Arndt (1) successfully used root-hypocotyl elongation as a criterion of temperature influence on seedling growth. Acid-delinted, surface-sterilized cottonseed of uniform weight were germinated in sterile agar in his studies.